Keith Vaz MP, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, asked Home Secretary Theresa May whether she was concerned that the operations were costing so much money.

He said: “I’ve been totting up the number of investigations that are going on in the Met concerning police failings in the past, I have nine at the moment - Weeting, Alice, Elveden, Tuleta, Herne, Fernbridge, Yewtree, Pallial and Pinetree - which have so far cost £13.7 million involving 278 officers, 108 arrests and 24 people have been charged.

“Does it worry you that there are so many Metropolitan officers and it’s costing so much money to deal with these issues, because it’s an awful lot of inquiries going on?”

The Home Secretary said: “These inquiries differ in terms of the subject matter that they’re looking at it. It’s right and proper that they’ve been set up.

“But as you’re aware one of the concerns I’ve had is the impact that this has on looking at the overall integrity of the police and public confidence and that’s why we’ve made some changes in this particular area.”